I wear hearing aids, so that makes the subject of hearing loss near and dear to my heart! My hearing loss is due primarily to long term exposure to noisy equipment. Let’s face it, farming is a noisy occupation! The damage to hearing from exposure to loud noise is often undetectable – until it’s too …

Under the Cottage Food Law in the state of Florida, individuals can sell certain foods they produce in unlicensed home kitchens, if the food has a low risk of foodborne illness, as outlined in Section 500.80 of the Florida Statutes. These food products must be sold within Florida, they cannot be sold wholesale, and …

More than 80% of workers on livestock farms have accidentally stuck themselves with needles used for vaccine and drug administration. Accidental needlestick injuries are usually minor, but can be serious with skin infections, allergic reactions, and deep tissue wounds that require surgery. This week’s featured video was developed by the Upper Midwest Agricultural …

Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam and the Florida Forest Service announced this week that more than 2,000 wildfires have burned over 150,000 acres in Florida this year, with nearly 125 active wildfires burning as of today, May 8, 2017. Current conditions by …

There are approximately two million farms in the U.S. There are also approximately 900,000 kids who live on farms, and more than half (51%) work on the farms where they live. Farms annually hire an additional 265,000 youth workers. Farms, however, are a dangerous place for kids to work and play, because of the …

If you are a produce farmer, you should have heard about the Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA, by now. This act, which was passed in 2011, is considered the largest update to food safety regulation in over 80 years.

The proposed produce safety rule under the FSMA is very robust, establishing the minimum …

On February 20, 2017 Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service announced the release of “FLBurnTools,” a new mobile app to inform the public about drought, wildfire danger and wildfire activity. Prescribed burn practitioners can also use the app to plan and submit authorization requests. The “FLBurnTools” app …

Alabama Cooperative Extension will offer training for anyone who will be applying auxin herbicides to dicamba or 2,4-D tolerant crops. While mandatory for Alabama farmers, Florida farmers can also attend these educational classes. See the table below for the date, time, and location closest to you. All Alabama producers that are planning on using this …